Reading The Eyre Affair is like slipping on a comfy jumper, made just for book lovers. It's set in an alternative past where the Crimean War never ended and literature is revered enough to get its own branch of law enforcement. It's full of 'in-jokes' and word play that kept me smiling throughout. I think a basic knowledge of Jane Eyre is required to get the most out of it, even if you just read a plot summary first.